While the Department of Education in the state of Attra suggests that high school students be assigned homework every day the data from a recent statewide survey of high school math and science teachers give us reason to question the usefulness of daily h

The author puts forth an argument stating that all teachers in the high schools of Attra should assign homework to students at most twice a week. The author supports this conclusion by providing statistics pertaining to the frequency of assigning homework and students' grades. While superficially the argument seems reasonable, a closer observation of the provided evidence reveals several questions that have been left unanswered.

First of all, the author cites a statewide survey of math and science teachers. Was this survey conducted scientifically? Was the sample size representative of all the teachers and students in all the high schools in the state of Attra? Can the statistics obtained from Marlee and Sanlee can be safely extrapolated to all the other schools? It is common knowledge that not all teachers have the same teaching style, and not all students have the same grasping capacity or the same study pattern. For example, some teachers prefer teaching fundamental concepts in the classroom, and encouraging students to explore the subject in detail on their own, in which case the onus is on the students to learn the subject on their own time. Whereas, other teachers simply teach as much is needed for the students to pass their exams with good scores, in which case the assigned homework reduces down to revising what has been already taught. Without considering these varied teaching and learning styles, it is quite reckless to conclude that reducing homework will improve the students' grades.

Secondly, where is the evidence stating that what applies to math and science applies to all subjects? Math and science are logical subjects which, while extensively deep in their own right, are quite formulaic and have patterns that can be remembered once learnt. However, other subjects such as Literature or the Humanities are quite subjective and open-ended. For example, some teachers might argue that a week is sufficient for a student to read Moby Dick and present a one- or two-page synopsis of the plot. However, other teachers might recommend a more holistic treatment of the story, encouraging students to delve into its several political, spiritual, and historical metaphors. If the latter is the case in majority of the high school teachers, then clearly the author's recommendation that homework should be restricted to no more than twice a week is contentious at best and deleterious to the learning process at worst.

Finally, the author assumes that homework is the single, most crucial factor in determining a student's performance. While homework does play a significant role, there are several other factors at play – the student's participation in class, their participation in extra-curricular activities, and lastly the teachers' ability to groom the students for exams. It is possible, for example, that the teachers at Marlee are simply more competent that those at Sanlee. If this is true, then it may also very well be that homework is actually helpful to the students of Sanlee in at least clearing their exams. Reducing the amount of homework assigned may have the opposite of the intended effect, in that students at Sanlee may be less prepared than ever for the exams, and their performance may actually take a turn for the worse.

In conclusion, the author's reasoning is based on shaky evidence that leaves much room for argument and questioning. To corroborate the reasoning, the author must provide detailed answers and supporting evidence (perhaps in the form of a systematic research study) to the questions raised above. This will enable us to make a judicious decision rather the author's sweeping generalization. Until then, the author's recommendation should be taken with a grain of salt.